Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday that 2018’s hurricane season has a 75 percent chance of being “near or above normal,” one year after 2017’s six major hurricanes devastated areas stretching from the Caribbean Islands to Puerto Rico to Houston.

Forecasters said there is a 70 percent chance that 2018 will see 10 to 16 named storms, of which five to nine could become hurricanes, including one to four major hurricanes. Major hurricanes are Categories 3, 4 and 5. NOAA said an average hurricane season produces 12 named storms, of which six will become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

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NOAA

Hurricane season probability and numbers of named storms.

“With the advances made in hardware and computing over the course of the last year, the ability of NOAA scientists to both predict the path of storms and warn Americans who may find themselves in harm’s way is unprecedented,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “The devastating hurricane season of 2017 demonstrated the necessity for prompt and accurate hurricane forecasts.”

"Preparing ahead of a disaster is the responsibility of all levels of government, the private sector and the public," said acting FEMA Deputy Administrator Daniel Kaniewski. "It only takes one storm to devastate a community, so now is the time to prepare.”

The NOAA says the outlook will be updated in early August at the peak of the hurricane season.